Neoclassical Metal

Up until now, a good many (if not all) of the genres that I have discussed on this blog have had relatively large and devoted followings, whether in the mainstream or more of a cult-status. Thus most people, metal fans or otherwise, have at least heard of some of these types of music. Neoclassical metal, however, is another ballpark entirely. Incredibly underrated and underappreciated even within metal circles, neoclassical metal stands even to this day as a pedestal of underground musical ingenuity and fluency. So let's check it out.

To put it simply, neoclassical metal is an offshoot of heavy metal that takes major influence from Western classical music, often to the point of covering pieces by Baroque composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, George Handel, and J.S. Bach. The style of playing is mega-technical, with major emphasis on the capabilities of lead instruments; often the guitar and keyboards. The genre is characterized primarily by the presence of what are often called "guitar virtuosos." Many popular guitarists play with a neoclassical style, such as John Petrucci from Dream Theater or Randy Rhoads of Ozzy Osbourne's band and Quiet Riot. However, that does not make the band "neoclassical metal."

When looking for one of the earliest examples of a neoclassical metal artist, look no further than the guitar wizard himself, Yngwie J. Malmsteen and his band Rising Force. In heavy metal, guitar solos have almost always been a thing, and a prevalent thing at that. What Malmsteen did with Rising Force however, skyrocketed this concept to the next level. With songs that moved just as similarly to Iron Maiden as they did to Niccolò Paganini, Malmsteen's compositions mirrored that of Classical-, Baroque-, and Romantic-period music. Following suit in the 1980s were a stream of classically-influenced shredders Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore, Jason Becker, and Marty Friedman (as well as some bands like Cacophony and Racer X), all of whom were lumped into this new neoclassical metal genre.

Recommended '80s neoclassical metal listening:
1. Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Marching Out (1985)
2. Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye (1986)
3. Tony MacAlpine - Maximum Security (1987)
4. Marty Friedman - Dragon's Kiss (1988)
5. Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn (1988)

Neoclassical metal, being a genre rooted in technicality and influences from art music, was destined to be linked at the hip with early progressive metal, and for good reason. As the 1990s entered the scene, neoclassical bands began to fuse their sound with the prog metal formula, leading to an influx of linked-genre bands such as Symphony X, Royal Hunt, and Concerto Moon. Symphony X in particular made huge waves in both the prog and neoclassical scene due to the incredible abilities of guitarist and founding member Michael Romeo. Also integral to the evolution of the sound was power metal, whose influence fit in greatly with neoclassical metal's flair for the grandiose. As a result, bands like Impellitteri, Cauldron Born and At Vance began to appear as well.

Recommended '90s neoclassical metal listening:
1. Impellitteri - Answer to the Master (1994)
2. Royal Hunt - Moving Target (1995)
3. Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1997)
4. Cauldron Born - Born of the Cauldron (1997)
5. Concerto Moon - Rain Forest (1999)

By the time the 2000s rolled around, neoclassical metal had almost become a subgenre of power metal, given how synonymous one term was with the other. The label was pressed upon just about every power metal band whose lead guitarist would duel with the keyboardist, and thus lost a bit of its weight. However, beneath the overlying power metal sound, there were legitimate neoclassical metal bands to be found, particularly in the likes of Galneryus, Space Odyssey, Iron Mask, Time Requiem, and the appropriately-named Majestic. Also still prevailing are the virtuoso solo artists the genre was initially known for, with releases from Bob Katsionis, Mark Boals, Vitalij Kuprij, Tony MacAlpine, and others.

Recommended '00s neoclassical metal listening:
1. Time Requiem - Time Requiem (2002)
2. Space Odyssey - Embrace the Galaxy (2003)
3. Iron Mask - Hordes of the Brave (2005)
4. Galneryus - Beyond the End of Despair... (2006)
5. Bob Katsionis - Noemon (2008)

In the 2010s, neoclassical metal remained a largely underground and minimally represented subgenre of metal. While the neoclassical power metal style of Galneryus still reigns as the primary incarnation of the sound, bands like Exmortus would also fuse neoclassical metal with thrash metal and speed metal, as well as an ever-increasing prevalence of symphonic metal elements. Bands like Tiluland, Magic Kingdom, Golden Resurrection, and Eihwaz lead the charge in terms of new arrivals.

Recommended '10s neoclassical metal listening:
1. Magic Kingdom - Symphony of War (2010)
2. Golden Resurrection - Glory to My King (2010)
3. Tiluland - Axes of the Universe (2010)
4. Galneryus - Under the Force of Courage (2015)
5. Exmortus - The Sound of Steel (2018)

Neoclassical metal as a whole has not made as big of a wave in the metal scene as, say, thrash metal or death metal... but it's reign of influence is undeniable. Being almost single-handedly the origin of guitar-centric metal music means that it has indirectly affected the new wave of progressive metal giants such as Animals as Leaders, Scale the Summit, and Plini. A common issue that detractors of metal music will pull is that the music sounds disjointed, angry, and uncivilized... but taking influence from Bach is just as far from that description as a metal band can get. The limits of creation are infinite.

Author's Note: Hey y'all! I'm back from the desert! Relatively short entry this time around, but still very excited to pick this little project back up. Hopefully all who read enjoyed, and stay tuned next week for another installment.